The Gospel Of Consumerism
Warning: Consumerism is everywhere and growing. There is no getting away from it which is potentially harmful. Consumerism is like an invisible, powerful entity of its own, but it quietly infiltrates every aspect of our lives. Just look around. Sadly, as consumers, we have become desensitized to the effects of consumerism and its’ ploy of promoting our interests. We want more and more, yet we have so much.
Consumerism And The Church
One area that we may have never imagined consumerism would find a home is the church. Yes, it has infiltrated the church and it causes us to think of our participation in the church in the same way we think about shopping for shoes or to make a trip to the grocery store. In a culture of options and choices on every aisle, we the customer is king. It can’t go unnoticed that the options are many when deciding which box of cereal is to be most desired. Personally, I prefer “Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs.
As consumers we think do we want the mall or Target; do we drive to the brick and mortar, or do we just stay home and do the shopping online, while comfy on the couch? Meanwhile, advertisers fight for our attention and loyalty. The consumer’s experience is what’s paramount to the marketer. One gaffe can cause a video post to go viral forcing a company into a moment of unplanned penitence and reeling marketing. (i.e. United Airlines 2017)
Consumers Go To Church
As Consumers in this world, we sometimes unknowingly think we are just a collection of individuals – a collection of individual meisms (Read “The Gospel of Isms” Part 1) who just happen to worship in the same building on Sunday mornings. It’s like saying, we happen to shop in the same facility called, “Your Community Church.”
Consumers are focused on the service that is being offered. It asks questions like, does it fit right, taste right, feel right? If not, I will take my business elsewhere. Did the waitress smile, was the waiter timely, does the shoe shopping experience fit my style? Does the grocery store offer fruits and vegetables fresh or is there another option worthy of a trip across town? Can I pick up in the parking lot or must I go in?
We have all heard and said, “the customer is always right.” And, while consumerism enthrones me or meism at the grocery store, restaurant, or mall; it is a horrible man-centered perspective when it enters the church.
Have you noticed, this gospel of consumerism is alive and well in the church today? We too easily forget that when we arrive at our places of worship, we are not consumers looking for a new pair of shoes. We are not random individuals gathering in the same building. Rather, we are worshipers, redeemed by Christ’s blood, saved by His amazing grace. And as such, we gather not first for ourselves but for the Worship of our Lord and Savior! (singing, sacrificing, serving, giving our lives away, engaging each other, preaching, listening, offering hospitality, greeting, getting to know a new person, making that person feel welcome, loving others, seeking to share Christ, etc…) The list is long, and I am saying none of it fits our consumer lifestyles.
This false Gospel of the consumer says, “Nope, not feeling it…” It tells us that the experience needs to serve me. It does not ask…how can I serve God? Consumerism at the house of worship is a misnomer. Left unchecked, it forgets why we have gathered. It puts the experience on how it “feels” to us rather than why are we gathered in the first place. Furthermore, the consumer evaluates the worship service based on how it suits ME. Does it meet MY expectations or fit MY style? It exchanges the worship of God into the worship of me. This is no small shift! Rather than coming for God, consumers demand that things are done for me, made for me and suit myself.
This consumerism is dangerous. Suddenly, people find themselves shopping for a better worship experience. Rather than looking for a church that preaches the Bible, we begin to look for a “style” that fits my preferences, rather than seeking preaching that confronts us with the Word, we long for preaching that makes us comfortable. Rather than appreciating older hymns, people run to something new. And, rather than enjoying something new, folks run to something more traditional. Suddenly and imperceptibly we have dismissed what really matters, the Gospel, for a myriad of lesser priorities.
I am afraid that pastors and leaders have not helped to curb this lust. Sadly, it is us pastors who have encouraged it, even built this consumerism into the makeup of the church.
My friends, the church does not exist to feed our consumer longings. It exists to worship God and serve Him by loving others.
